Childhood Lost

Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).

Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.

Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism

(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)

"What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless."

John Stone,

UK media editor, Age of Autism

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"The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country."

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

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May 28, 2019, E-Counseling.com: One Out of Four Primary Pupils in UK Has ‘Hidden’ Social and Mental Health Difficulties? https://www.e-counseling.com/news/one-out-of-four-primary-pupils-in-uk-has-hidden-social-and-mental-health-difficulties/A recently conducted study shows that a quarter of primary pupils have hidden social, emotional, and mental health difficulties.
It can be quite challenging to spot pupils who behave well but are lacking in self-esteem or confidence, research shows. This mental issues could be low self-esteem, and a lack of emotional security in the school, as well as a mistrust of adults.
The head of research for the charity Nurture the UK, Florence Ruby, conducted the study. She said: “In one classroom, there are perhaps three or four quite challenging pupils. Teachers notice them….
This study, conducted over four terms in 25 primary schools in England, involved teachers assessing the social, emotional, and mental health needs of more than 6,800 pupils….
They included 26 percent of children who were found to have primarily hidden moderate SEMH needs.
The usual difficulty experienced by these pupils was low self-esteem or a lack of emotional security in the school. It manifests itself as mistrust of adults or trouble asking for help when needed.
Dr. Ruby said that schools had previously assumed that roughly one in 10 of their pupils had SEMH needs. …
She further added that it was necessary for pupils to be given the right support for their needs. “There’s a lot of pressure around children at the moment – results, the pressure to do well at school, and not necessarily the right kind of support at home,” she said. …
The chief executive of Nurture UK, Kevin Kibble, said: “We must help teachers identify and support children with SEMH needs, before issues escalate, harming their education and potentially leading to exclusion.”